Planning: Pitch

Brief 1, a three minute opening sequence of a documentary for BBC Three.

So far I have made a temporary name for my documentary, but is subject to change. Having taken a look at the typical BBC 3 documentary and their titles, I have decided for mine to be Harry Bateman: grassroots amateur to international star.

Harry Bateman is a 24 year old International showjumper from Hockley, and has built his show-jumping career out of his back garden with the help of his family. My idea of using this sport is that it is out of the ordinary and does not have much coverage compared to sports such as football and an audience will more likely engage with a new topic. Furthermore, the opening sequence will introduce how the talent juggles between sport and social life, and introduce his achievements to the audience. He is of an ideal age as he fits within the bracket of the audience (16-25). The opening sequence will include a range of shot types across the talent's home, including a tack room, stables and arena, as well as surrounding countryside. 

Throughout the opening 3 minute sequence it will include hashtags and online social media platforms underneath, in order to encourage the 16-25 audience to engage and give their opinion, as they are more likely to do so when prompted. Also, within the sequence the presenter can mention their online presence, such as the website, BBC3 itself and iPlayer for their other documentaries available, showing convergence across platforms. Should the audience enjoy the documentary they will be more likely to engage further in similar types of show or discover others online as a result. The style of BBC3 documentaries is important and must be adhered to in order to uphold their professional style.

The website itself must also be in the house style of BBC3, and must have individual shots of the talent and the sport to appeal and anchor the topic of the show. The website will feature audio-visual content, such as a Q&A that the audience could have suggested questions to ask. Also this could allow some intertextual reference in terms of the talent’s idols, with Nick Skelton and Tim Stockdale having written their autobiographies. Another form of audio-visual is a day in the life of them like a daily routine and schedule, or a show preparation. There will also be twitter/Instagram posts on the website, encouraging the audience reading them to engage also as an active audience and opportunities for the audience to follow the talent online and visit their instagram/twitter account.